Last Dance
by Kat24mlr
Summary: I wrote this listening to “Duet” by Rachael Yamagata. It’s raining out and I don’t have time to update my other stories so I’ll give you about three minutes of Jack and Audrey. It helps if the song plays in the background.
1. Chapter 1

_**I wrote this listening to "Duet" by Rachael Yamagata. It's raining out and I don't have time to update my other stories so I'll give you about three minutes of Jack and Audrey. It helps if the song plays in the background.**_

"Just one dance"

"Jack..."

"Please, just one last dance and I promise I won't ask you again"

"That's not it; I don't want you to disappear anymore"

Jack smiled sadly as he pulled Audrey to him

"One day we'll get our chance again I promise you"

(The music starts up and Jack begins to move around the small dark room. It is lit only by dim lamps on a few tables and one glass chandelier. There's no one else, just Jack and Audrey moving to the music)

"I miss you, I miss this" Audrey admitted laying her head on his shoulder.

"Me too" Jack said kissing the top of her head.

Audrey is wearing a simple red dress and heels. Jack in a black suit and tie.

"Can I ask you something?" Audrey said looking up at Jack

"Anything"

"Why did you leave?"

Jack paused thinking

"I couldn't save you, I tried to, I wanted to, but..."

Jack looked away and Audrey touched his cheek.

"But you did, and then you left without even saying goodbye. I remember you did."

"Your father thought it was best that I stayed away from you, so I couldn't hurt you anymore than I already have"

Audrey bit her lip and shook her head.

"Jack I forgive you for what you had to do before China, but this wasn't your fault. You rescued me from the Chinese almost giving up your life in the process and putting the country in danger. If anything I should stay away from you."

"You remember all that?"

Audrey smirked

"I'm not dead Jack"

"I know, and that's why I'm going to stay away for a while."

"I wish you wouldn't"

Jack pulled her closer as they continued to dance and he whispered in her ear

"Hey I already said I'd come back"

"Not soon enough"

Jack smiled at her pouting face and lifted her chin up.

"I need you to get better first or your father will never let me see you"

"I'm trying, I just don't trust them. They don't understand, they don't get that..."

Audrey trailed off to look at where her and Jack's hands were. She stared at the scars on both her wrist and Jack's hand.

She looked at Jack and stared deeply into his gray blue eyes

"You're the only one the get's it"

"I'm here for you Audrey, always. I'll always be with you here, even if I'm thousands of miles away."

"What if it takes me longer to get better than you think?"

Jack saw what she was trying to ask without her saying it.

"Sweetheart, I'm always going to be yours. I'll always wait for you, no matter what. And if I get back and you're still not better, then I promise I'll take you away from there."

"Jack when you come back; promise me that you'll take me with you away from there; no matter the condition I'm in."

"Are you sure that's what you want?"

"I want you Jack, that's it. Nothing else matters to me anymore, except that you come back to me."

Jack nodded.

"There's one more thing"

Audrey looked at him expectantly

"I did say goodbye. I came to the beach house after your father took you from me. You don't know how hard it was for me to simply walk away. You were the only thing that kept me going in China and all I wanted was to come back and start a new life with you"

Audrey saw the hurt in his eyes and kissed him gently at first. They stopped dancing as Audrey wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him closer.

"I love you, so much" Audrey said breathlessly.

"I love you too, with all my heart. I always will."

The music ends, and Audrey stares up at Jack one last time afraid. His smile is one of the last thing she sees before the room grows dark and she holds onto him desperately.

Everything fades, from the glass chandelier to each other's touch.

Jack wakes up alone in his cot somewhere in Africa, Audrey in her bed in Washington.

Both take a moment to adjust to their surroundings, before sitting up.

It was a dream they have had more than once over the last four years, each time in the same room with the same song.

The sun is just now rising in Washington as Audrey walks out onto the balcony. For Jack it is already noon and the sun is beating down.

Jack wonders where she is now, or what she is doing. If he could guess, he'd say that she just woke up from the same dream he did. It was too real for her not to be there with him.

He wonders when he will see her again because it's not a question anymore. He's already decided that he will stop at nothing to get back; it's just a matter of time.

Audrey shivers slightly as the cool wind brushes against her cheek where Jacks hand lay only a few minutes ago.

Over the last four years she had improved both mentally and physically. But she hadn't spoken since the last time she was at CTU. Not that she couldn't, she had locked herself in the bathroom many a times to remind herself that.

Her silence was due to a broken heart, and she had nothing to say to the people around her.

Today felt different though. Maybe it was how the sunrise had turned a shade of pink, or that she felt stronger than most other days. She didn't know but she knew something was going to happen today.

Jack leaned against one of the trees atop the hill. He also felt today was going to be different, but he didn't know why.

Suddenly Audrey knew what it was. Jack was going to come home soon, starting today. She smiled slightly and leant her head up to the sun just as Jack was doing.

Silently she whispered "I'll be waiting"

Redemption


	2. Chapter 2

_**Part 2 **_

_**I have no idea right now where I'm going with this and I probably shouldn't be telling you that but I do have the next few chapters so hopefully I'll work the rest out later...**_

Audrey quietly walked into the kitchen where her father was making coffee. She sighed as she came in, still having to live with her father after he refused to leave until she began to talk again.

She had been going daily to a doctor and psychologist who both tried to get her to talk but she wouldn't.

Audrey knew that everyone around her thought she was crazy; afraid, nervous, lonely, and angry maybe, but not crazy.

Today though she was going to make an effort, it was what Jack had told her to do. If it was how she was going to get him back than she would do it.

"Good Morning" Heller said spreading some butter on toast for her.

Audrey held her breathe, wondering if she were ready to go back to the real world. If she was honest with herself, she was scared; scared of the questions that would never end, scarred of having to go along like nothing happened, and scarred that it would all be for nothing if Jack didn't come home.

"Morning" she said sitting down to watch her father's reaction. He managed only to spill a few drops of his coffee on his shirt and the rest on the floor.

Heller did a double take and must have thought he was hearing things for he shook his head and went to clean the coffee off the floor.

"Did we get the paper yet?" Audrey asked waiting for her father's expression.

Heller looked at her again and realized she had been talking. He stood up and quickly wrapped her in a hug swaying slightly.

"Oh honey, it's so good to hear your voice. You don't know how much I've missed you"

Audrey hugged him back slightly, still not used to people getting so close.

Heller pulled back with tears in his eyes as he held her arms tight.

"Everything's going to be okay now; we're going to be okay"

Audrey just nodded. Deep down she was not okay, and they both knew why.

Heller got the paper she had asked for and picked up the phone to call Dr. Carter.

Audrey picked the paper off the table and skimmed it for a few minutes. "What's this story about Sangala?"

Heller thought for a second before answering. "There seems to be a bit of a problem out there. The Juma Regime has begun to recruit children into his army against the newly formed government. Last time Juma led an uprising, millions of his own people were killed."

Audrey stared again at the article.

Heller walked to her and put a hand on the table. He was still amazed at the sudden achievement of hearing her speak again and didn't want to say anything that would set her back.

"May I ask why you wanted to know?"

Audrey looked out the window where the sun had now come up.

"Just wondering"

"Alright well I have work to do in another part of D.C. today. Richard will be coming here shortly"

"Dad I don't need a babysitter"

"I know but Richard has been waiting for this day for a while, and it'll give me peace of mind to know that I'm not leaving you here all alone."

"All right" Audrey said sighing.

Heller kissed his daughter on the top of her head. "It's good to have you back honey, I'll see you later."

Audrey nodded and watched him leave. Secretly she knew she had been back the day she stepped off the boat from China. To her the first few years from then had just been clouded over, like a dream.

After a while she began to realize who she was, where she was, who would hurt her, and lastly that Jack wasn't there.

That might have even been the first thing she remembered thinking coherently, "Where's Jack?"

For the longest time she knew she had seen him, had heard his voice. The way he looked at her that day told her it wasn't a dream. She remembered reaching for his hand, and knowing that he knew she was still there somewhere inside of herself.

Audrey thought about all the things she had to tell him. They had so much to make up for, and hopefully they'd get the chance.

**Review!!! **


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